They suggested that the donors should also ensure transparency, accountability and local participation in their own projects without interfering with the governance of the aid-receiving countries.

The seminar on Interest of World Bank and IMF: Agriculture, Trade and Services was organized by

the Alliance for Economic Justice, Bangladesh (AEJB) at the National Press Club in the city prior to the 50th summit of WB and IMF scheduled to be held in Singapore from September 14 to 20.

Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir of Unnayan Onneshon and Jakir Hossain of Nagorik Uddog conducted the seminar.

Favouring unconditional aid from donors, the speakers asked for formulating a self-controlled policy in the interest of utilising the aid without making any burden on the gross domestic product (GDP).

Mahfuz Ullah, secretary general of Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD), said when the member-countries of WB and IMF (International Monetary Fund) purchase vote through spending huge amount of money, how they make hue and cry about governance of any country.

"The total aid of donors for Bangladesh is less than 2 percent of GDP. So, why we should depend on that aid with some unethical conditions", he added.

He laid stress on political commitment to avoid such dependence on donors.

"The main slogan of WB and IMF is to ensure transparency. So why they want immunity," questioned Zafrullah Chowdhury, projects' coordinator of Gonoshasthaya Kendra.

He said local newsprint importers have to pay 52 percent tax on import of newsprints from the world market, where Indian pay 5 percent and Sri Lanka pay only 2.5 percent.

"This is very interesting that WB and IMF prescribed decrease in so many import items but they do not make any comment on the newsprint, a basic element of education," he added.

"This is not new that WB and IMF impose conditions one after another. It is happening, because we give them the opportunity to practice such a supremacy," said Shahin Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno.

"If we do not accept their conditions and keep our position to serve our own interest it is possible to avoid the donors' prescription," she added.

"We have a perception that there is no alternative to doing development work without WB and IMF fundings. We have to change such perception by practicing self-criticism," Anam suggested.

AKM Jahangir Hossain, MP said, "WB and IMF impose intentional prescription, which seems impartial, but they don't think about our interests".

For example, he said, WB advised Bangladesh to close down Adamjee Jute Mills but at the same time they funded India to establish jute mills.

He said it is very unfortunate that donors made our Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), where most of parliament members have no involvement.

He, however, said, "I am not against the donors but my stand is against their conditions".

Parliamentarian Redwan Ahmed said, "Most of the Indian officials of WB and IMF are keeping their interests when giving aid to a project. But unfortunately, our local employees in WB and IMF have failed to maintain their interests".

Rejecting the donors' prescription on continuous denationalisation of the state owned enterprises (SoEs), he said, "If we follow such prescription on denationalisation, mass people will be denied of their minimum constitutional rights".

Tajul Islam Chowdhury, a Jatiya Party MP, said," If the country does not pay any heed to its interest, then the donors will continue to use their steam-roller and the country will ultimately suffer a lot".